Locals debate sarcastically on failure of Paris Baguette in Malaysia

MALAYSIA: Paris Baguette Malaysia has come under the full ownership of its Southeast Asia regional headquarters in Singapore following Berjaya Food Bhd’s exit, but the story is more about how the name sounds to locals and why it failed to conquer the market.

While the company said the restructuring aligns Malaysia more closely with Paris Baguette’s broader Southeast Asia growth strategy and reflects its long-term commitment to the local market, netizens had a field day comparing the food to local delicacies or, as some call it, Bah Kut Teh.

“Paris Bak Kut Teh” is a popular running joke and meme with a localisation pun in Malaysia and Singapore. They mispronounce the premium French-Korean bakery chain Paris Baguette.

This is because the French pronunciation of “Baguette” playfully sounds like the Hokkien/Teochew phrase “Bak Kut Teh” to local ears. Some even call it “bag-good-teh”.

A user on Threads said that besides the branding, with stylish and uniquely coloured storefronts, the brand also had a catchy name amongst the Chinese community.

“Also, it has a catchy name amongst the Chinese — Paris BKT — because Baguette sounded like Bak Kut Teh when read literally.”

Another, however, commented on the RM1 sale price of the Malaysian shareholders’ 50% holdings in Paris Baguette Malaysia.

“RM1. That is the price of half of the Paris Baguette Malaysia business. Cheaper than nasi lemak this morning, but when Berjaya bought over the shares, the investment was RM20 million,” they said/

The user also asked how such a premium business from Korea could fall to such a low RM1 price?

Announcing the change of ownership, Paris Baguette also identified halal certification as one of its top strategic priorities, following recent halal certifications obtained in Singapore and Indonesia.

Now, one can wonder what kind of memes the halal connection and the local slang for the brand will come out on the internet and among social media users.

Nevertheless, the company said advancing halal certification in Malaysia is a non-negotiable commitment, underpinned by the certified supply chain at its Johor halal food hub.

“Halal certification is fundamentally about earning and maintaining consumer trust. It is a key pillar of our long-term strategy and positions us for sustainable growth while preserving the quality and craftsmanship that define the Paris Baguette brand,” it said.